I'm new here. I have 2 cats. Had them for 9 years. Love them to death. When my now husband and I moved in together, we ended up with 4 critters because he has 2 too. Anyway, I've always been slightly asthmatic and have allergies but managed them both with medications. My family thinks I'm nuts to do so, but I couldn't bear not having them.

But now I am pregnant and my asthma, especially, is much worse. It's at the point where I can't let my kitties sit on me or sleep near me because I am having attacks. The next step is to move them into the basement for the remainder of the pregnancy until the baby is born...and hope that s/he isn't allergic/asthmatic too. But then, I think is it fair for them to be isolated? I mean these are seriously spoiled cats that have had oodles of attention and love and now I am stuggling to breathe and can't even sit with them on my lap. :( I'm so incredibly sad and this is supposed to be a happy time. I worry about them and worry about my baby. I'm just so torn and sad.

Has anyone else who is asthmatic found a way around something like this?

Frenchy

July 29th, 2007, 09:23 PM

Maybe you could find help here :

http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=42902

mummummum

July 29th, 2007, 09:40 PM

I think a naturopath would be a whole lot more help to you.

blackcat99

July 30th, 2007, 03:23 PM

thanks, naturopathic is a good idea. i will look into that. i not really interested in taking any drugs. i don't want to harm my baby.

thanks

krdahmer

July 30th, 2007, 04:50 PM

I was pregnant last year and also suffer asthma and allergies (pregnancy did not go well:frown: but I did find great coping stuff.). I find that those little air cleaners are a must if you have allergies asthma and multiple cats (we have 6). If you are really suffering maybe more than one might be needed, in strategic spots like the rooms they sleep in most (I find thats where they drop the most fur) and in the spots where you would like to be able to sit with them. Lock them out of the bedroom for the duration, and start keeping the babies room off limits to them long before the due date.
I personally like the honeywell ones because the filters last 6 months or so (I cheat and vacuum them off every other week to stay ahead of fur. Oh and vacuum as often as possible (great hubby job in my opinion!).

Good luck with everything.:goodvibes:

blackcat99

July 30th, 2007, 08:12 PM

thank you, krdahmer

do you mind if I ask you? did you take inhalers during your pregnancy? if so, was your baby ok? my doctor told me to keep taking my inhaler (pulmicort) because uncontrolled asthma is very bad in pregnancy. i am going to keep taking it but I'm nervous about it...

krdahmer

July 30th, 2007, 09:08 PM

I don't mind you asking at all, I too was told to continue my inhalers, serevent and flovent (which are now just advair). I know that asthmatics are instructed to continue the inhalers because you not breathing properly is a lot more harmful to the baby than the inhalers.

Here is some great info

http://www.lung.ca/diseases-maladies/asthma-asthme_e.php
Click on Pregnancy and Asthma.

(And no my baby was not ok, I miscarried at a little over 2 months- completely unrelated to the inhalers, I had uncontrolled diabetes, am very overweight and had severe hormonal problems. Working on all that for our next try... ;) :goodvibes: )

Anyhow, go by what your docs say, and I do know of healthy babies being born to mothers who had asthma and took their meds. Invest in the air cleaners, they work, and will help you keep your furbabies when you add your new baby! And congrats and best of luck also!:grouphug: :goodvibes:

krdahmer

July 31st, 2007, 11:16 AM

Oh and I almost forgot, what kind of litter are you using? That to me has been the biggest trigger for asthma and allergies, when I was using the clay they were terrible. I switched to corn then wheat and have seen such an improvement. The clay is very dusty and even if you arent scooping it the dust will trigger attacks. The wheat is far less dusty and safer if it is inhaled (although you still can't scoop it while pregnant unless you wear a mask and gloves.).

blackcat99

July 31st, 2007, 12:55 PM

thank you again, krdahmer. I'm sorry to hear you miscarried but I do hope your next try goes well. Thanks for the link to the asthma site. I definitely will keep taking my inhalers, for the baby but also because I can't really do much myself if I am having flare-ups.

I will look into wheat litter. I am not cleaning the litter except when my husband has to travel for work, which is infrequent but does occur periodically.

Thanks again for all your suggestions, advice etc. :)

krdahmer

July 31st, 2007, 01:36 PM

Anytime and welcome to the site.... do you have any pics of all your kitties? We'd love to see! :cat:

carolarrea

August 1st, 2007, 02:42 AM

I know my solution may sound too simplistic and even dumb but it may be worth a try. I have a friend that is super allergic to cats, but he does fine around my cats. I think it is because I give my cats baths (with a very mild organic shampoo) every two month, it's amazing, but he can touch them, kiss them and nothing happens, he is very surprised about this. I am pretty sure he is allergic to cat's dandruff and their saliva, because they are clean they don't clean themselves so much (just on the important parts :) )
I know bathing 4 cats is a nightmare, but if you find it works for your allergies it might be worth the try...

Good luck!
Carolina

PS: my cats are indoor cats, if yours spend a lot of time outdoors giving them baths so often can leave them without protection against the cold.
Ah! and I use pine cat litter, it looks like pellets of compressed pine sawdust?, it doesn't smell when it's used and has no chemicals or silica.

LittleMomma

August 2nd, 2007, 01:44 PM

I, too, am pregnant (verrrrry pregnant!) and we have kitties. My breathing and allergies have gotten a lot worse in pregnancy, too, but unfortunately, that's a "side effect" from just being pregnant - it happens to a lot of people (I work in healthcare, I see it all the time) but usually goes away after delivery :goodvibes:

KRDAHMER~ I'm sorry for your loss. I, too, suffer from horrid hormonal imbalance issues, and this is truly a miracle that this pregnancy has held on. My chance of miscarriage was 50% in my first trimester... but the good thing is that if you know what hormonal issues you are dealing with, you can better plan a course of action. Sorry to get off the topic, but it hits close to home.

krdahmer

August 3rd, 2007, 08:28 PM

Thanks momma, this time around I have to have the ok from about three doctors before I can even start trying, I'll be on insulin and hormone stuff way before we even conceive. Plus I'm trying to lose weight first too to highten our chances of the next one being as healthy a pregnancy as possible. I feel better now that we've moved too, it was really hard at first to be around all kinds of 'welfare' moms (not the good mom's who have unfortunate circumstances and require assistance- the ones who are hooked on crack and theiving and drinking and neglecting their kids) popping them out like crazy, seemed so unfair. And hubby is very open to adoption if we are not successful so I'm much more hopeful now. It was kind of a whirlwind of a year, got diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and pregnant all in a couple months (the preg. was actually a side affect of the diabetes meds not planned, although we had been trying to conceive for 2 years prior).

I'm glad to hear yours is going well.... and I hope its a big healthy happy baby... (and not allergic to dander!!!;) )!!